Sketches in Colour
by comptine
Summary: Day 7: Pinch. “Welcome to Food 101. I will be your teacher, Mrs. Wu.” Katara was quivering with excitement. Finally, a class she could excel at, not like she didn’t excel at her other classes but still.
1. Denim

Sketches

Day 1

Denim

-

_Some girls,_ Zuko thought to himself as a blush warmed his cheeks,_ should not be allowed to wear tight jeans._

You could say that Zuko had a thing for waitresses. There was the cute girl, Song, who served at the local "Roast Duck" before it shut down.

Then it was the nice and slightly forward teen, Jin, who he had risked a date with and had almost received his first kiss if he had not fallen into the fountain.

Finally his last crush, Mai. She had worked at the local coffee shop. Everyday he would go in there and be enchanted by her monotone and quirky, if somewhat dark, sense of humour.

Yes, you could say Zuko had a thing for waitresses, but they only resulted in awkward flirting and almost-but-not-quite-serious-enough dates.

Then he meets his new crush. He doesn't know when he started noticing her. He had always been a regular at the coffee shop on the corner, always going in for his usual latte and pastry of the day while he worked on his latest piece, sketching ideas and people he saw in the shop. He even got discounts because he went there so often. So today, on a cold December morning he sat at the bar, large sketchpad out and sketching, he finally noticed the New Girl.

She was very cute, he mused as she pulled her long chocolate hair into a ponytail, her bright blue eyes complimenting her dark skin. Glancing at her brass nametag he read the name 'Katara.'

Katara looked over at him and he quickly went back to drawing a man that was talking angrily on his phone while sitting on a beanbag chair a few feet away. He seemed to be struggling to get out of his chair while trying to keep yelling at his bumbling employee through the phone.

"What are you sketching?" A voice asked right beside his ear. He jumped and turned to see Katara standing right behind him. She smelled like the sea, he noted.

"Nothing!" He said, closing the sketchbook. He's never been comfortable with people looking at my work until it was finished. "Shouldn't you be working?" Zuko asked coldly.

Katara smiled at him, the kind of smile that's says she really didn't care what he said. "I'm on break."

"Shouldn't you be in the back or something?"

"No. I can go wherever I want. It's break time, and you know what." She looks around at the few people in the shop. "I might be able to get off early."

"Fantastic." Zuko stands up and stuffs his sketchbook into his black messenger bag, pulls it over his shoulder and wraps a red scarf around his neck. "Have fun."

"Hey, where are you going?" Zuko turned to look at Katara who was pulling on her jacket.

"I'm going home." He said, making his way to the door.

In a second Katara is beside him, smiling. "You're the first person I've met. You have the lucky privilege of showing me around town."

"Are you kidding? I have a life! Stuff to do!"

"Like what?"

In all honesty Zuko just wanted to go home and read, sketch and maybe get a little GTA IV in before bed. "Important stuff. Now leave me alone."

"That's not a very good way to treat a girl."

"Gah. I've only known you for five minutes and you're on my nerves! You don't even know my name!"

"Well, I'm Katara Kirima." She held out a hand.

Zuko stared at the end, then seeming to break down under her polite smile and twinkling eyes, and took her hand. "Zuko Sozin."

* * *

So Zuko spent his day with Katara. She wasn't that bad he decided after the day turned into more days and soon when he went to the coffee shop he found himself immersed in conversation with Katara.

But everyday, no matter how many times he said no Katara asked, "What are you drawing? Can I see?"

"No Katara. You can't see." She didn't seem bother by his secretiveness about his sketchbook, she seemed to just accept that he didn't want to show her.

In truth he would've loved to show her his sketches, he somehow knew she would like them, her eyes growing big as she turned each page but something was holding him back. There was an unfinished sketch, currently, it was a just a pair of jeans. Every time he sat down to finish in, he could, he just stared at them for hours on end, unable to find an owner to suit them.

Today was not that special, it was April but snow –a downfall of living in the mountains- was still falling. Yet as he opened the door to the café he felt something. There Katara was, leaning on the bar in a tight pair of jeans.

The inspiration hit him like a speeding truck. Katara shifted slightly and Zuko practically screamed, "DON'T YOU DARE MOVE!" Katara turned and Zuko gave her a scathing look with wrestling his sketchbook out of his bag. "What did I _just_ say? Hold. Still."

Scowling Katara turned back to the bar and didn't move. She was the perfect model. She didn't complain, she didn't fidget and she didn't talk the whole time. Quiet, still and completely concentrating on being a statue Zuko wished he could sketch her all day. As this thought passed through his head he blushed a horrible splotchy red.

Zuko was never one for blushing. It made him look like a unripe tomato.

His attention slowly began to drift as he started last minute details. Katara was definitely curvy, he'd admit it in a flash. Her hair was always clean, not clean like Azula's -a perfect, unnatural, hospital-like clean- but a casual clean.

But those jeans. Fitting oh-so tightly... And as the thought of tight jeans and how some girls shouldn't wear them Katara said, "You're blushing...something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong."

* * *

Author's Note

Yes, it's Zutara Week everyone mild applause

So, enjoy the Zutaraness (and I swear that Tokka will be squeezed in there somehow.)


	2. Electrifying

Sketches

Day 2

Electrifying

-

"Don't you just love a good storm?" Katara crooned as Toph rolled her eyes, "It's simply electrifying."

"Great use of words Sugar Queen," Toph grinned and did her best Katara voice, "It's simply electrifying!' You make my day Sugar Queen." As thunder rumbled through the sky Toph turned to look at her boyfriend who was sprawled on the couch, sleeping.

"INCOMING!" She yelled and jumped on his. He jerked awake to find Toph grinning at him. "Oh, sorry did I wake you Snoozles?"

"Whut?" He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Is it morning?"

"Nope."

"Okay, I'm going back to bed then." Sokka leaned his head back, but in the same second wrapped an arm around Toph.

"Hey! Let me go!" She squirmed but couldn't keep a huge smile off her face.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that Toph…" Sokka mumbled, feigning sleep. Toph resigned and snuggled close to her boyfriend.

Katara made a face. Sure, she really couldn't talk about showing public affection (Aang and herself were always kissing, hugging etcetera), but couldn't Toph and Sokka show a little more restraint?

Maybe she was jealous. Aang had dumped her brutally for a circus girl. She sighed, took one last glance at the sleeping couple before sneaking out of the apartment. She slowly climbed the stairs, each door she passed giving her something new to listen to. In one room she heard 'American Idol' blaring. Another had a mother trying to convince her little girl to eat her carrots.

As she reached the second-to-last floor she heard yelling. Her natural curiosity piqued as she stopped to listen. From the first bit, she could tell it was a man and a woman arguing.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"You're always going out."

"It's something I do."

"Why can't I come."

"Because Mai...I need time alone."

"Time alone? Alone?! Fine! I'll give you time alone!" Katara had to jump back as the door crashed open and a pale girl stomped from the room, swiftly followed by a tall man.

She went downstairs while the man yelled over the railing, "Yeah! That's right leave!" Katara stared at him, he had come very close to knocking her over the railing. Slamming the door as he stalked by he climbed the remaining stairs, opened the door leading to the roof and closed it.

Katara was torn between her natural urge to help, to get involved and her instinct telling her to leave the angry man far behind.

Finally a decision was made. Katara didn't know this man, Sokka would probably kill her for talking to strangers (He still thought she was five-years-old) but she wanted to help. It was her duty as a good Samaritan. Toph, Sokka, Aang, Haru, Jet and a whole assortment of people could've told Katara that she sometimes got too involved.

As she opened the door to the roof thunder rumbles and blue lightning danced across the skyline. There, silouetted against the billboards, shining office buildings and ambient light was the man. He was tall, his long hair and clothes were already soaking from the downpour. As the shaft of light from the inside appeared on the ground he turned around.

Lightning flashed and Katara put a hand to her mouth in surprise. A scar had marred the right side of his face. The dips and broken skin casted shadows as lightning flashed.

For once, and most likely the only time, in her life, Katara Kirima couldn't think of anything to say. Her brain had stopped working and words seemed nothing more than meaningless noise now.

She did not know how long they stared at each other. It might've been a minute, an hour, a day, a month or a lifetime. Okay, maybe not a lifetime, but you get the general picture. Suddenly as an especially loud thunderclap pierced the rain she noticed a large antenna standing a few feet from the man.

"You better watch out or else you'll get hit by lightning." Was the first thing she said to he man.

Not, "How can I help?"

Not, "What's your name?"

Not, "You've obviously broken up with your girlfriend and at this critical point in your Post-Breakup Phase you're going to need a steady friend and that steady friend is me."

No, nothing like that.

The man glared. "And you are?"

"Katara." Just as she said her name a particularly loud rumble follow. A few second after, blue sky-fire flew from the clouds and struck the antenna. The two jumped and once they looked up the metal rob was nothing more than a deformed rod.

"Told you." She said, stifling a giggle while, Zuko (as she later found out) cracked a smile.

* * *

Author's Note

I just realized something...

I was talking to someone (I don't remember who) and I actually said this: I rememeber back in the day there were only 9,000 stories in the Avatar section. Not all this new fangled 14,000!

I feel old...D: XD

Anyway, this one sucked to...I just can't find the Zutara groove!


	3. Smug

Sketches

Day 3

Smug

-

Some people called him smug. Of course these people have never met Katara.

Katara could be smugness incarnate. When she won anything and everything, an argument about Toph and Sokka's relationship, what they were having for dinner that night even a battle she would be smug.

It drove him INSANE. He constantly felt like he was small. Her looks always said something. Sure, she could pretend that she had accepted him into the group but he knew.

He had found that she had three main smug faces.

1. the so-the-high-and-mighty-Prince-comes-crawling-back

2. I'm-not-such-a-peasant-anymore-now-huh-bub?

3. Try-anything-and-I'll-tear-you-limp-from-limb

Yes, these faces were the only things Zuko couldn't stand about Katara, and he was ready to do anything to make her stop.

* * *

**Attempt Number One.**

_Objective:_ Win argument about the current state of Toph and Sokka's relationship

_Time:_ One hour (May change depending on weather and Aang's training)

_Pros:_ Zuko knows Sokka, arguable, well. Zuko had a little sister who he argued with daily

_Cons:_ Katara is an able arguer, much closer to Toph. Katara is convincing.

_Side-Note:_ Zuko knows nothing about the state of Toph and Sokka's relationship. Flying without wings as one might say.

* * *

"Hey Katara." He approached her. She finished her Waterbending exercises, water cutting through an invisible enemy before flying into her dual waterskins.

Stretching, Katara looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Remember how you said Toph had a thing for Sokka?" He grinned. His out-of-character speech was already throwing her off. Victory was going to be a cinch.

"Yeah?"

"And how Sokka's got a crush on Toph?"

Katara seemed a little more hesitant as she said, "Yes."

"I think you're wrong."

Immediately Katara was on the offensive. "Why? I have proof!"

He crossed his arms and gave her his best Smug look. "Like what?"

Glaring at him Katara yelled, "TOPH! SOKKA! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! I NEED TO TEACH ZUKO A LESSON!"

In a matter of seconds Toph and Sokka came running in. "Katara don't do it!" Sokka shouted as he whipped around the corner, "Zuko deserves to live!"

"What are you talking about?" Katara said, raising an eyebrow at her brother.

"Sorry, we thought that you were going to kill Zuko. You know, you can go overboard at times. So, what do you need?"

"Sokka, do you like Toph?"

"Yeah, she's my best friend."

"Not like that. Do you _like_ like her?"

"What?"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

"YES!"

"TOPH!"

"Yeah?" Toph was doing her best to look cool and unconcerned but the blaring red on her cheeks wasn't helping.

"Do you like Sokka?"

It took Toph a moment to answer. Katara and Zuko were waiting, holding their breath. "I guess…"

"See! Told you." Katara turned to Zuko, flicked him in the forehead and walked off, hips swaying and face Smug –look number 2 this time-.

_Mission Outcome:_ **Failure**

* * *

**Attempt Number Two.**

_Objective:_ Cook a better meal than Katara.

_Time:_ Two hours.

_Pros:_ Katara cooks everyday and new food would be appreciated and welcomed.

_Cons:_ Katara can cook. Zuko cannot, a downfall of growing up in a Palace and as Crown Prince

_Side Note:_ Make individual accents to each meal. Added special will mean big bonus points.

* * *

"Zuko? Is this an eyeball?"

"Zuko, you're a firebender and all but, don't you know the difference between rare and well-done, like TOO well-done?"

"Um, Zuko? I think you're supposed top cut the head off. And, you know, take out the bones . . . "

"Oh my God! Is it still bleeding?!"

"You guys, I can't see but I know this tastes funny..."

"Zuko, you're my friend and all but serious, what _is_ this?"

"I'm not sure, I lost the recipe half-way through..."

Katara gave him a Smug smile as he asked her if she would cook dinner for the rest of the group so they wouldn't stare. Look number 1.

_Mission Outcome:_ **Failure. **

**Epic Failure.**

* * *

**Attempt Number Three.**

_Objective:_ Beat Katara in battle.

_Time:_ Unknown, depends on many things.

_Pros:_ Will challenge her during the day. Obviously the better fighter.

_Cons:_ Full moon. Sokka has told Zuko about something called "bloodbending" look into that more.

_Side Note:_ Firebending and waterbending only. No dao blades but advance forms of bending are allowed.

* * *

They faced off. It was twilight, a time agreed upon by both parties, not quite day and not quite night.

"Okay, Toph and myself are standing by if things get out of hand." Sokka said, looking between his sister and Zuko. "No hairpulling and no slapping. Fight clean. ready?"

Zuko nodded and Katara said, "Yes."

Katara struck first. She ran forward, hand splayed out with water flowing behind it. Zuko side-steps the water and countered with a blast of fire. Katara's side was burned but she ignored hit and with her hands flat the water turned into blades.

He had to duck, jump, dodge the blades. He heard the blade crunching into the stone behind him. Katara's supply never ran out. The air and waterway throughout the whole Western Air Temple were on her side.

But Zuko wsan't giving up just because Katara had more water.

He always had more fire.

Once he was within five feet of her, it was his turn.Crescent kicks flew in front of her eyes. Fire grazed every inch of Katara, close enough to feel but not enough to burn. In a blinding flash she realized that he was_ toying_ with her!

How... How.. How DARE he!

Little did she know that him toying with her was going exactly to his plan. After watching her Smug look after Smug look he always knew that eventually she got cocky and angry at the same time.

Cocky+Angry+Katara equals Wild and unfocused.

And for once, Zuko was right.

Katara lashed out violently, with the full weight. Zuko sidesteped again, stuck his foot out, tripping Katara. She braced herself for a fall. Zuko, working fast grabbed her, spun her around so she face him, suspended by him.

Zuko held her with one hand on the small of her back and the other holding her arm back. Even in this vulnerable position Katara still was Smug, look number 3 to be exact. Even NOW she was Smug!

Did I mentioned that Zuko was willing to do _anything_ to wipe that smile off her face?

Katara would admit later, while Zuko smiled Smugly, that he was a much, _much_, better kisser than Aang.

_Mission Outcome:_**Success.**

* * *

Author's Note

I'm actually pretty proud of this one.


	4. Manipulative

Sketches in Colour

Day 4

Manipulative

-

He had grown up with Azula so the word 'manipulative' was well known to him. But when he met Katara his whole definition changed.

Katara was manipulative, plain and simple. It was exactly the same thing as Smug. She could make anyone do anything. Zuko made sure to note, over the next few weeks, how exactly she made people do stuff for her.

* * *

Katara vs. Sokka

"Sokka! Can you get everyone's laundry together?"

"Why me?"

"Because if you don't I won't clean them!"

"Fine. But just because I love you."

"I'm sure."

Katara Wins

* * *

Katara vs. Aang

"Aang, come practice your waterbending!"

"Okay!"

Katara wins… But that's really no surprise.

* * *

Finally the battle Zuko had been waiting for came. Once in a blue moon did Katara and Toph get into a huge argument. They had their little spats here and there but Zuko needed to see how Katara reacted in situations where the opponent was the most bull-headed person in the world.

Katara vs. Toph

"Toph, you have to wash your hair!"

"You are not my mother. My hair is fine, a little dirt never hurt anyone."

"Please! I can see worms and stuff crawling around in it!"

"Worms? Where?"

Katara walks up to Toph and pretends to pull something out of her hair. Dangling the "worm" in front of Toph she said, "Look."

"Yeah right."

"Fine Toph. But don't drawling to me when Sokka goes to run his hand through your hair while you makeout and he finds worms in it. Might ruin the mood a bit."

Toph blushes while Katara washes her hair.

Katara wins

* * *

The day came when Katara asked Zuko to do something.

Boy, was he ready...

Katara vs. The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation Son of Ursa and Ozai, Zuko.

The argument raged on for hours. Zuko even forgot what she had asked him to do they had been fighting so long. Eventually, when Katara seemed close to throwing him off the Western Air Temple they reached the last moments of their argument.

"Zuko, I just want you to cook dinner. You're the firebender of the group."

"Make Aang do it."

"No, you're part of this group and you have to contribute."

"Make me." He did not know why he said it. Maybe he did want her to win the fight. Maybe it was a death wish.

That day, Zuko learned what bloodbending was.

Katara Wins


	5. Mythology

**Sketches in Colour**

**Day 5**

**Mythology**

**-**

The tale of the Moon and Sun is told all to often. I will not bore you of the details of the Sun and Moon met under trying circumstances and eventually overcame and other such trifles. You deserve much better than that.

I will tell you what happened after the Moon and the Sun met. After the wedding party, few years of matrimony and other things best left unsaid.

After ten years of marriage Katara and Zuko found themselves with a very small, very sick baby girl. The healers said she wouldn't make it through her first night.

Zuko opened the door to the infirmary. The candles were burning low, casting Katara's sunken face in wavering darkness. Sweat still clung to her skin as she held the baby tight to her chest.

He entered, pulling the crown from his hair so it fell around his face. Soon the shoulder pads were off and Zuko was shirtless. The room was incredibly hot but when he crawled into the bed beside Katara and touched the little girl he withdrew his hand quickly.

"She's so cold." Katara said, taking the words right out of his mind.

Zuko reached for the baby but Katara's hands tightened around her. He sighed quickly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, tucking Katara right beside him.

A few minutes of sweltering silence passed. Though Zuko and Katara were drenched in it, the baby did not have one drop of sweat on her. Suddenly Katara turned to him, kneeling on the bed, baby still held in the nook of her arm. She unlocked her arm from it's bent position and held the little girl out to her father.

Zuko reached out and took the infant. Her skin was dark, like her mother and the small tuff of hair was creamy brown. The baby opened her eyes and Zuko was astounded to see his amber eyes blinking up at him.

"She's beautiful." He whispered to no one in particular.

Katara smiled, her tiredness evident. "Yes, she is."

"What will we name her?" Zuko asked, still entranced by the little miracle.

Katara lay back down beside him. Closing her eyes. "Something like Ursa or Kya?"

But Zuko wasn't listening he was still holding her close, his ear pressed against her chest. "I can hear her heartbeat." His look of awe turned to concern, "It's so quiet."

Moments passed in which Zuko held his baby girl and Katara rested. "I want to tell her a story." She said suddenly, eyes still closed.

"Which one?"

"Ours."

He raised an eyebrow, a tiny part of him shining through his melancholy. "Ours? A bit…narcissistic, don't you think?"

"Fine." She said, a small part of her firing up. "You pick."

Zuko thought for a moment then, guiltily, he turned to Katara. "I can't think of any."

"Tell her ours." Katara breathed deeply. "She should at least hear a bit of it before she…" Her voice broke and the sentence remained unfinished.

Zuko took that as his cue to start. "Once upon a time there was a prince and a princess. They hated each other, more than you could ever imagine, fighting at every turn as the prince chased the princess and her companions around the world.

Eventually the prince caught on and realized that the princess and her…" Zuko looked at Katara, wanting a word to describe the Avatar.

"Squire." Katara said, her eyes still closed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Her little, loving squire."

"A squire that you kissed…" Zuko muttered under his breath. The baby gurgled quietly and he continued his story.

"That the princess and the squire knew what they were doing and so the prince joined him. At first the princess was very angry with the prince because he had betrayed her in the crystal caves but eventually she forgave him.

The princess and prince eventually left each other, trying to fall in love with other people but soon they were spending everyday together and then, almost as suddenly, they fell in love.

The prince and princess married and had a beautiful baby girl and they lived happily ever…" He stopped and leaned over the baby, his dark hair hiding his face.

"Zuko, what is it?" Katara's eyes opened when his voice drifted.

"I… I can't… hear her heart."

* * *

Author's Note

Just finishing some stories up. This one is so SAD.


	6. Stare

**Sketches in Colour**

**Day 6**

**Stare**

Sokka, Wolf of the South, was the first to notice his sister, Serpent of the North, falling in love with Zuko, Dragon of the West.

At first it was subtle, he merely thought they were becoming friends, he was glad, Zuko was slowly coaxing Katara out of a recluse she had entered since Aang's death.

They began to spend many hours together, whether it be yelling over what supplies needed to be sent to the Southern Water Tribe or talking calmly over a cup tea about the current state of Ba Sing Se.

Always politics, he noticed. Nothing else.

That was, until, Mai broke up with him. He didn't cry but he did do a lot of talking. Sokka would often walk by a couch to see Zuko pacing back and forth, mumbling under in breath while Katara would nod solemnly.

From then on their topics of conversation consisted solely of Mai and Zuko's no longer active relationship and the ever-present politics.

The next upheaval in their relationship is when Zuko found his mother. He had suddenly left the palace without a word except to leave Sokka, and a reluctant Toph, in charge and taking Katara with him.

Sokka fretted for days, considering all the possibilities the worse of which were Katara and Zuko getting married and have a whole pile of rainbow-spewing babies.

But they returned one stormy night carrying a tall woman over their shoulders and Sokka soon found out that Ursa was not only Zuko's long-lost mother but a lover of meat as well.

So now apparently the subject of long lost relatives was appropriate as well, but somehow, whenever he walked by them sitting together they were always discussing the shipment of moon peaches to Kyoshi Island.

Their close bond seemed to strengthen over the next month. Katara was in a state, running all over the place, making arrangements for Aang's funeral. Zuko followed obediently, helping out as much as he could and a few nights Sokka found them both sound asleep on piles of paperwork.

Then he found them hugging on the day of Aang's funeral. Katara was sobbing into his shoulder while Zuko was humming quietly, rubbing her back.

The physical level only increased. Sokka was walking by the courtyard to find Zuko and Katara fighting, water and fire damaging the priceless architecture without a second thought.

Sokka runs out, prepared to risk his life to stop the fight in a valiant action sequence involving a few naked ninja woman brandishing nunchucks while Sokka himself takes on the giant lizard.

Then he remembers he has a girlfriend and there's no giant lizard. As soon has his feet touch the burning grass the fighting stops and Katara and Zuko look at him. He asks what they are doing and they explain that they are sparring.

Sokka leaves quickly and never speaks of the moment again, though he does wander by a hallway to find Katara and Zuko deep in conversation of the ties of lightning conducting and waterbending.

Finally Sokka observed one last, crucial, step in their relationship. While he was getting married he happened to glance into the crowd.

There they were, smiling up at him sitting side by side. As Piando told him he could kiss the bride he thought he saw the glimpse of Katara's fingers interlocked with Zuko but he wasn't sure.

Even after observing this much all he could do was stare when he found his sister and Zuko locked in a close embrace in an abandoned room.

"_What were you doing in there!?"_

"_Discussing politics."_

* * *

Author's Note

So I thought I'd brighten things up from last chapter's and just so something simple and, hopefully, funny.

Also it was an exercise in non-dialogue story telling.


	7. Pinch

**Sketches in Colour  
**

**Day 7**

** Pinch**

**-**

"Welcome to Food 101. I will be your teacher, Mrs. Wu." Katara was quivering with excitement. Finally, a class she could excel at, not like she didn't excel at her other classes but still.

The Home Ec. Room was large, ten separate kitchen units, all fully stocked and each with a complete appliance set.

Katara looked around the classroom scrutinizing the others students which seemed to consist of slackers who wanted an easy A and a few other Katara-like people. People who liked Home Ec.

"Due to the size of our class, we will have to pair up." Immediately everyone scrambled to find a partner. By the end of it, everyone was sitting beside someone. Everyone except Katara.

She raised her hand. "Mrs. Wu. I don't have a partn-" Just as she said this, the door open and the school resident failure slumped in.

"Zuko." Mrs. Wu said, blissfully ignorant of Zuko's status. "Perfect! We were just looking for someone extra. Please, take a seat beside Miss Kirima." He strode over to her, throwing himself down in a seat. Katara was leaning away from him, as though he was carrying a deadly disease.

"Okay! Everyone grab an apron and find a station. We'll start out with something easy today. I'd like you to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies." Zuko followed Katara into the kitchen, pulling an apron off a rack and tying it around his waist.

She did the same but had trouble with the knot, her fingers kept slipping over each other, probably because she wasn't watching what she was going but Zuko instead. His reputation preceded him, the rumours of fights, numerous girls and drugs were making Katara nervous and he hadn't even opened his mouth.

"I'll get it." He said after a minute of Katara failing passed. He snatched the cords out of her fumbling hands. Katara stiffed and his hands brushed her lower back. "There." His expression had not changed but Katara could feel her cheeks tinted with a bright red blush.

"I guess we should get started." She said, glancing at Zuko who did nothing. Katara wandered over to a cupboard and pulled out a cookbook. Flipping to the correct page, her eyes occasionally flickering to Zuko, she said out, "Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees."

Zuko slid over to the oven and flicked the switched and turned the dial. He turned back to Katara as if to say, 'and?'

A few weeks passed in relatively one-sided silence. Katara would tell Zuko what to do and he would do it, occasionally asking a few questions on measurements or the temperature of the oven.

Soon, though Katara would've thought it impossible, Zuko's cool exterior began to thaw. He had been in a few fights, he told her as they made salad dressing, but that was because he was protecting a little boy from a bunch of thugs.

He had many girlfriends, he told her as they prepared a turkey dinner as a Christmas project, but they all ended on good terms. He never cheated, slept with them and had only managed –he blushed as he revealed- to kiss two of them.

He had dealt drugs once, he told her as they waiting for their pumpkin pie to cool, but he seriously regretted it. Jet Feng had convinced him to do it and it wans't a path he wanted to go down again.

And somehow, Katara found herself becoming friends with the boy she had once been terrified of looking in the eyes.

What should happen when Katara likes a boy? Well, as well all know, she becomes a bit of a flirt and boy, was she good at it.

Smile. Establish eye contact. Touch his hand accidentally. Repeat and one month after Spring Break Zuko was falling for her.

Not that he would ever admit it. He had his own tricks up his sleeve for counteracting her flirting techniques.

Do not return smiles. Do not look right into her blue eyes. Move hand quickly as possibly away from hers.

Who would win in the end? Would Zuko manage to keep Katara off long enough for her to lose interest or would her sultry ways seduce him?

The showdown happened on the day they were supposed to be making cinnimonbuns. It had started out simply. They made the buns, baked them to perfection and coated them in handmade icing.

The only thing left was a sprinkle of cinnamon on the icing. Katara read this and looked at Zuko who was holding the cinnamon. "How much cinnamon?" He asked.

She grabbed a piece of his forearm and squeezed it tight. "Just a pinch."

They stared, Katara smiling and Zuko not smiling.

"Yeah." He said and picked up the bottom of cinnamon and very deliberately sprinkled it all over Katara's top. "Just a pinch."

"Oh," she said, attempting to brush the spice off but just smearing it all over her top, "It's on." Katara seized a handful of flour and threw it at Zuko. His face was completely white until he opened his eyes wide, like an owl.

He didn't even wipe away the flour but simply grabbed his own handful and chucked it at her.

The whole class was watching them now as they threw ingredients at each other. Somehow an egg landed on the floor and as Katara went to smear Zuko's face with a stick of butter her foot slipped in it. She fell forward and with a huge crash Katara found herself and Zuko on the ground, covered in baking supplies.

The students that had gathered started laughing and Mrs. Wu was shaking her head disapprovingly.

Katara reached over, still pinning Zuko to the ground, and grabbed a tiny heap of cinnamon and sprinkled it all over his face.

"Just a pinch."

* * *

Author's note

Yes! Finally finished! Only... four months late?

sigh

I love this one, personally. It's just so cute and fun. What do you guys think?


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